


Of Sweets and Coffee

by conspiracygudao



Category: Fate/Zero
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, F/M, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Motorcycles, Pastries, Slow Burn, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 15:32:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9768269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/conspiracygudao/pseuds/conspiracygudao
Summary: In the corner of the least busy street of the financial district of the city, there was a small pastry shop where time didn´t pass. It was so tiny that there only was space for two tables in front of the counter, but the fame of its pastries didn’t have anything to envy to the larger stores.The owner, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, an entry level pastry chef who recently inherited the family´s little bakery, started to prepare the dough at 5 am and opened at 9 am, every single day, without fail.





	

**Author's Note:**

> *arrives 6 years late into the Fate/Zero and diarturia fandom*  
> Hello, I´m weak and love pastries!  
> Have a little story of heir of a famous corporate group Arturia and pastry chef Diarmuid for Valentine´s day!

In the corner of the least busy street of the financial district of the city, there was a small pastry shop where time didn´t pass. It was so tiny that there only was space for two tables in front of the counter, but the fame of its pastries didn’t have anything to envy to the larger stores.

The owner, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, an entry level pastry chef who recently inherited the family´s little bakery, started to prepare the dough at 5 am and opened at 9 am, every single day, without fail.

Today, he arrived before the first rays of the sun could touch the pastry shop but, at 7:30, the shop keeper´s bell sounded and the first customer of the day entered his little store. Diarmuid, who had decided to take a break to taste a recently baked cinnamon roll, looked up and saw an agitated blonde woman, dressed in an elegant black suit, standing at the bakery´s door.

_Beautiful…_ was the only word that came to mind when he looked at the young woman in front of him.

The young woman´s green eyes quickly inspected the pastry shop before they settled on the golden ones staring at her. She frowned and spoke with a bit of hesitance at first. “The pleasing aroma of this pastry shop drew me in but…” The woman cleared her throat and, when she spoke again, confidence emanated from her being. ”I might be wrong, but I have the impression that I arrived too early. Please accept my apologies for carelessly barging in this establishment!”

Diarmuid blinked twice as he continued to munch on his cinnamon roll.

 

* * *

 

 

Arturia Pendragon, heir of the Pendragon Group and currently going under strict training to learn how to manage the famous corporate group, recently began to visit his little bakery one hour and half before it was time to open. He couldn’t find the words to explain what was so unique about Arturia, but… it was nice having her around, even though she never stayed long.

Every day, they would greet each other and engage in a little conversation before she paid for her coffee and leave for work. It didn´t took long for Diarmuid to notice that Arturia only drank a cup of coffee without even taking the time to taste it. While time had forgotten to pass his little pastry shop, it clearly never stopped for her. Always busy, always thinking of something, Arturia’s eyes looked too tired for her young age.

Today was no different.

Diarmuid, with his elbows on the counter and supporting his weight as he leaned closer to the young business woman, broke the silence with a matter that had been bothering him for days. “Please, excuse me for the intrusiveness of my question but, could it be possible that you only have coffee for breakfast?”

Arturia slowly lowered her mug from her lips to the table while a pensive look overran her facial features. After a second of thinking of a proper answer, she raised her head until her eyes met with Diarmuid’s and answered calmly. “That would be correct.”

Diarmuid had to stop himself from physically cringing but he wasn´t able to stop the words that came out of his mouth, surprising both himself and Arturia in the process. “That cannot be healthy!” He was no nutritionist but he was certain that Arturia would definitely get gastritis if she continued with that unhealthy diet. “You are in a pastry shop! Please, at least, eat something for breakfast.”

Arturia blinked once but her eyes stayed wide open with astonishment. “I don´t want to take advantage of your kindness anymore. It´s already unsightly enough the manner in which I show up before opening hours.”

“Nonsense!” Diarmuid pulled away from the counter, walked into the private kitchen and, before Arturia could say anything else, he came back with a plate that contained a couple of Angel Wings and placed it on her table. “It´s on the house!”

Arturia´s eyes crinkled into something akin to a frown, but the tips of her ears were as red as an apple. “V-very well, but, next time, I would like to pay for my meal.”

 

* * *

 

 

“It´s delicious!” Her eyes glowed like little emeralds and her mouth opened in amazement after she tasted the first piece of the strudel Diarmuid had served her. Without even noticing her unexpected outburst of emotions, Arturia quickly brought another piece to her lips and hummed in approval as she savored the freshly made dessert.

As soon as she ate the last bit of her strudel, Arturia turned to Diarmuid and, with a warm smile on her face, asked for another one. “I would like to have another slice if it´s not too much trouble.” Diarmuid had never seen her smile like this, openly and honestly, a smile that stole his breath and pulled the strings of his heart in a way he believed that wouldn´t happen again.

Diarmuid mumbled something he didn’t even understood himself and placed another slice of strudel on her plate. Content with that, Arturia began to wolf down the dessert, enjoying every bite with a glee one only saw on little kids. Luckily, she didn’t notice how Diarmuid´s face had gained a goofy shade of pink that extended from his neck to the tips of his ears.

Diarmuid observed her enjoy the pastry he had prepared for a couple of seconds until his face began to heat up again. He immediately lowered his gaze to the bakery´s counter and sunk on his seat so that his arms could cover him and the adorable blush that adorned his face. _So Arturia likes sweets, huh?_

“Diarmuid” Arturia´s clear voice caught his attention.

There was a hint of confusion on his features since he had been too lost in thought to hear what she might´ve been telling him. “Yes?”           

She still was wearing the bright, calm smile that had made his heart skip a beat when she spoke to him. “I would like to thank you for brightening my morning with your cooking and company. Also…” Unexpectedly, Arturia lowered her gaze a little and played with the end of one of her bangs before she continued talking. “I would like another slice, if it´s not too much trouble. Your desserts are truly delicious, Diarmuid.”

_How unfair_ , Diarmuid thought as he buried his face in his arms and sunk even more in his seat. _I´m happy._ “I-It´s nothing really, I-… I´m glad to hear that. I love having you around too.” _I´m really happy._

After Arturia finished her third and last slice of strudel, she bought five slices of walnut bread and with a “See you tomorrow”, she left the little pastry shop. Diarmuid couldn’t think of anything but sunflowers as bright as her smile and beautiful emerald eyes for the rest of the day.

 

* * *

 

Arturia finished the last bit of an éclair that brought a smile to her face as soon as she smelled its sweet aroma. Once she had cleaned her mouth, she looked up to the pastry chef and said the words that came from the bottom of her heart and made his beat louder. “Delicious as always, Diarmuid.”

Diarmuid only managed to nod a little while he used a tray to cover that blush that invaded his features. Even though he had heard the same words many times, with little variations from time to time, he still couldn’t get used to the many pleasant and sugary feelings that they brought to his chest.

Arturia gazed at her watch and sighed once she realized that she couldn’t stay in the little bakery for much longer. “As much as I would love to stay here and taste all of your pastries, I need to go now.” She put on her coat, grabbed her briefcase and walked in direction of the pastry shop´s door. Before she left, she turned around and gave Diarmuid one last smile. “I´ll see you tomorrow.”

Diarmuid watched her walk away and, with every step she made, mixed feelings and words that got stuck on his throat grew on him. Part of him was upset about only being able to see Arturia for less than an hour every day while another part of him couldn’t wait for tomorrow. But tomorrow… tomorrow was too much time. Without thinking of the suddenness of his actions or the possible outcome, Diarmuid took a deep breath and left the pastry shop. “W-wait!“

Arturia quickly stopped in her track and turned to see him with a surprised look on her face. Diarmuid stood before her with messy hair and a blush so bright that would put every mature strawberry to shame. “I close at 5, is it possible for us to meet later today?” He actually closed before 5 but Arturia didn’t need to know that.

Arturia blinked once and stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, her eyebrows frowned a little while she thought of a proper answer. Diarmuid held his breath and waited for the worst outcome. He watched her mouth open and he immediately shut his eyes close, not wanting to see her face when she rejected him.

She tilted her face to the side and answered in a calm tone of voice. “Alright, please tell me your cellphone number so that I can contact you if there are any inconveniences or change of plans.”

Diarmuid opened his eyes and blinked many times, wondering if what he had just heard wasn´t a delusion of his vulnerable heart. He had to open and close his mouth several times before he was able to remember his number and actually manage to let the words roll out of his mouth.

Arturia quickly added his contact to her cellphone and sent him a message just to be sure that she got it right. After that, she confirmed the time and location of their meeting? _date?_   “Today at 5 o´clock and… Is it ok for this to be our meeting point?”

 

* * *

 

 

Step after step, Diarmuid slowly returned to his pastry shop and had to support himself on the counter since he suddenly went weak at the knees. His face still was bright red but his lips were curved into the happiest and goofiest smile he had made in a while. After a couple of minutes and a glass of fresh water, he finally was able to relax and continued preparing his pastries for the day.

But it seemed like concentration had forgotten to accompany him today because he really wasn´t able to focus on anything. His thoughts kept being interrupted by the image of an elegant business woman who was always in a hurry, except when she was eating, and the promise of a date.

_It´s not a date!_ Diarmuid had to correct himself once again. His own mind was going too far and played tricks on him that left him flustered and unable to attend his customers properly. He sighed in frustration and tried to think in the birthday cake he was supposed to be making but his eyes unconsciously drifted to his cellphone. He still hadn´t received a message from Arturia that told him that she couldn´t make it or that something came up. The hours kept passing and the time for them to see each other again kept getting closer.

At 3 pm, a little thought that would torment him for the rest of the two remaining hours crossed his mind. He could prepare a special pastry for her. It didn’t have to be something pompous or complicated. Maybe something small and simple would bring a smile to her face when they meet for their date-

_It´s not a date!_

Diarmuid almost whined and covered his face with both hands as he realized how just how hopeless he was. He took a deep breath and tried to tone down his excitement. But it still was no good; his heart was beating heavily on his chest. _Oh no, I like her, I really like Arturia, what do I do now?_

Time flied when he got lost in the memory of beautiful, long hair and a confident voice. When he looked at the hour, his already defenseless heart almost skipped a beat when he noticed that he had less than an hour to make something for Arturia. He was going to make a heart-shaped strawberry tart, but decided to leave it with the simple, circular shape in the last minute. To be safe, he ended up making two of them so that she wouldn´t suspect anything.

Diarmuid stared at the pretty and innocent-looking strawberry tarts that he had somehow managed to make in time. He sighed. Sometimes victory tasted like defeat.

 

* * *

 

 

The hands of the clock marked five o’clock and, as if she had timed her arrival, Arturia politely knocked on the pastry shop´s door. Diarmuid´s eyes immediately shot up to the bakery´s entrance and his mouth opened a little in surprise when he finally saw the woman he had been daydreaming about for the past hours.

Arturia stood straight and sent a confident smile in his direction him once his golden eyes met her emerald ones´. Diarmuid felt his heart hammering on his chest as he walked closer and opened the door for her. But his almost child-like excitement wasn´t enough to let the large bouquet of white roses Arturia held in one arm go unnoticed. He wasn’t able to hold back neither the gasp of surprise that left his lips nor the imminent blush that quickly made itself present on his features.

Diarmuid barely registered greeting each other; his mind was working overtime for the possible and logical reasons of why Arturia had showed up with roses. Unluckily, all of the possible answers he thought of made his heart beat faster and let his imagination and hopes touch the skies. Before he could even notice that Arturia´s blue suit looked tidier than in the morning, said woman carefully gave him the bouquet of beautiful white roses.

Not knowing what to say or how to properly react, Diarmuid´s whole body froze while his face acquired a lovely and extremely evident shade of red. His eyes drifted between the bouquet and Arturia multiple times until actual words managed to make their way out his mouth. “W-why the flowers?”

Arturia, who had remained calm and patient, blinked once in response. Her eyes showed confusion and a pinch of fear before they returned to show their natural confidence. She tilted her head to the side and talked as naturally as she could in their current awkward situation. “I assumed that we were going on a date, so I wanted to show up with a proper gift for the person I would like to court.”

Diarmuid´s face grew hotter with every word Arturia said so he hugged the roses closer to himself so that they would cover his flustered appearance, even if only a little. _It´s a date, she thinks it´s a date, it really is a date!_ “Thanks”, Diarmuid said timidly. The warm smile he got in return from the person that haunted his sweetest dreams almost left him breathless.

Luckily, the storm that currently were his feelings decided to give him a break after he gave Arturia the strawberry tarts he had made just for them. Diarmuid felt more relaxed and, in a matter of minutes, they returned to talking like they usually did every morning. It was pleasant.

Then, Arturia changed the topic of their conversation back to their date. “I´m a little ashamed to say this but I didn’t have much time to think of the best way to spend our evening together.” She frowned and pressed her lips together into a thin line before she proceeded to correct how she had expressed herself. “No, it would more accurate to say that every idea looked appealing because _you_ are my date." Her lips curved into a soft smile and she gazed downwards, as if she was a little bashful of her statement.

Diarmuid closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down the butterflies that tickled his stomach. He unconsciously raised a hand to partially cover his flustered face. He really couldn´t understand how Arturia could say things like that so easily.

Before he could give a suggestion, Arturia spoke again. This time, the excitement in her voice was unmistakable and as honest as her emerald eyes. “Tell me Diarmuid, if it´s ok with you, I would like to visit a couple of sightseeing spots, but…” Her smile widened and her eyes looked so bright and youthful that she almost looked like a woman her age. “Are you comfortable with motorcycles?”

The love-struck expression he had been unconsciously wearing for a while was quickly replaced by one of genuine surprise. “Say what.”

Arturia took a step closer and Diarmuid felt as if the white roses she had given him were now blooming from his chest. “I´m sure the desserts you made would taste even better in front of a beautiful sunset. And, luckily, I already got the most wonderful person to enjoy both delicacies with, in front of me.”

“I…” Diarmuid´s hands instantly rose to cover his blushing face. It was unbelievably unfair how she could pull his heart strings with only sweet words and a bright smile. When he remembered how to speak, his voice came out weaker than he had expected. “A-Arturia…”

 

* * *

 

 

It wasn’t particularly cold outside, especially not when heat was practically emanating from him, but, when as they left the pastry shop, Diarmuid felt the chilly breeze of the evening hit him on the face. He shivered a bit but still gave Arturia a soft smile while they walked to where she had parked her motorcycle.

Her vehicle wasn´t far away from the bakery and, even though he knew nothing of them, Diarmuid was sure that the motorcycle in front of them could easily belong in an action movie. He swallowed his nerves and assured Arturia that it wasn´t the first time he rode on one of them when the woman asked him if he really was ok with motorcycles. Once they got on it, Diarmuid grabbed the sides of his seat for support but, when Arturia started the engine, he immediately flung his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly.

His face flushed once again and he opened his mouth to apologize, but Arturia stopped him before he could say anything. “It´s alright, but you don´t have to worry. I won´t let you fall off.” Arturia reassured him and, when the vehicle started moving, she spoke again. “Please hold tight when I pick up the speed.”

And then everything began too fast for his eye to register. His temperature dropped and adrenaline was being pumped to his veins. Then, with his heightened senses, his previous fear was soon replaced by the feeling of freedom. His heart pounded loud in his chest and the sides of his mouth curved into a bright smile that didn’t leave his face for the rest of the ride.

He hadn´t felt like this in a long while.

He was so close to Arturia right now.

And when he thought about it, there still were many things he didn’t know about Arturia, many things he didn’t know about what fate might have in stock for them. But that was alright. There was no need to rush or worry about what only just started. After all, they had all the time in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Your comments and support will make this person really happy, thanks again!  
> (Let me know if anyone is interested in Arturia´s side of the story)


End file.
